Virginia highway toll - first of many?

In the US state of Virginia, the Governor Robert McDonnell is suggesting a new toll on Interstate 95 to help pay for road repairs.
February 24, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
RSSIn the US state of Virginia, the Governor Robert McDonnell is suggesting a new toll on Interstate 95 to help pay for road repairs. The highway officials are currently considering the construction of a single toll facility at the North Caroline border. A US$2-4 toll for each user could raise $30-60 million/year. However, it is likely to be 18-24 months before toll collection begins if the proposal is approved. McDonnell has appealed to US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to give approval. The move is of note as the rules regarding the implementation of tolls on Interstate highways have been changed recently. The latest rules make it easier for state authorities to consider tolling as a means to pay for highway maintenance and repairs. Texas and Florida are amongst those US states already taking a pro-active approach to tolling and other states seem likely to follow. Industry organisations such as the American Road & Transportation Builders Association (ARTBA) have been suggesting increased use of tolling on the Interstate network for some time. With rises in fuel taxation ruled out due to political sensitivity, tolling is seen as the most effective way of ensuring US highways receive the funds required for maintenance, repairs and improvements. This appeal for a toll may well the first in a series of highway tolling moves in the US to help pay for the huge and growing backlog of repairs and also help tackle increasing congestion in certain areas.
Highway & Network Management

Related Content

  • Belgium considering tolling to pay for roads and tunnels
    January 27, 2016
    Belgium is considering tolling options as a mean to fund necessary road and tunnel developments and upgrades. The Brussels region is expected to spend between €500 million and €1 billion in order to update a series of key tunnel connections, with tolling being considered to raise a part of the funds required. A toll could be applied for the Léopold II tunnel during peak hours. According to Belgian consultancy company Stratec, traffic congestion could be reduced in Brussels by implementing an area charge dur
    Read More
  • Western nations need to maintain roadway assets
    December 23, 2014
    In the western world, drivers have benefited over many years from road and highway networks connecting not just towns and cities, but remote rural areas also. The US Interstate network in particular shows how major investment in infrastructure can help fuel economic growth. Construction of the Interstate system commenced in 1956, with the new highways that were built and the transportation they provided contributing greatly to the economic power of the US ever since. In Western Europe too, highway links pro
    Read More
  • Smoother roads reduce emissions
    July 25, 2016
    Research reveals that smoother roads can help cut emissions of CO2. This has been announced following the release of the Communication on “A European Strategy for Low-Emission Mobility” (COM (2016) 501) by the European Commission. This covers all transport modes but for road transport, the Communication includes proposals on optimising the transport system, low-emission alternative energy, and low- and zero-emission vehicles. Three associations active in road construction - EUPAVE (the European Concrete
    Read More
  • Putting roller compacted concrete to the test
    June 28, 2013
    Although it has been around since the 1970s, roller compacted concrete (RCC) is starting to look a whole lot more attractive, thanks to the rising price of bitumen. Now the challenge is to define specifications and tests to help ensure quality - Kristina Smith reports. At a meeting of the American Concrete Pavement Association in December 2011, there was a sea-change in the attitude towards roller compacted concrete (RCC). Up until that point, the feeling among the 400-plus members, of which half are contra
    Read More

Highlighted Content